


Forced Humanity

by IrisClou



Series: Unboundry (Zero & Alia) [2]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: F/M, alia needs many many beers and i dont blame her, what the hell is a gender -zero 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 06:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10656585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrisClou/pseuds/IrisClou
Summary: There's always been something strange about Alia, but now that it's obvious what's wrong, Zero steps in to see if he can make things right again. Two gay robots argue what humanity is in relationship to synthetic life and grow very close to each other because of it.(Sequel to Get On Your Bikes and Ride)





	Forced Humanity

**Author's Note:**

> alia's still a tired lesbian someone please buy her a beer

[[Chasing Inspiration | Yair Alberg]](https://youtu.be/s_fWEqYIYx8)

"I still can't believe you actually bought me coffee," Alia felt like her entire character had dissolved into nervous laughter. She didn't know exactly what it was she was feeling, but instinct told her to fight it.

"I may be an asshole, but at least I'm a sincere asshole." Zero joked, leaning back in his chair. The rec room was oddly deserted this time of day.

Alia smiled, and stared down into the cup of hot coffee. It smelled great. She wondered why the taste had to be so bitter.

Her throat went dry at the irony of it all. She didn't want to look up and realize the connection she'd just made with a stupid mug of boiled beans and her commanding officer.

Zero's face grew dark with worry. He didn't like when others were obviously uncomfortable around him. Well, within reason. He was six and a half feet tall, and built like an Amazon. On top of that, he had piercing green eyes and a golden mane of hair that nearly reached the floor. He didn't blame the average Joe Schmoe from getting nervous at the sight of him.

But Alia?

Alia, whom he relied on to keep him from running through a trap door?  
Alia, whom he almost literally butted heads with during every meeting?  
Alia, who he always invited to marathon Top Gun with him and Storm?

Alia was his friend.

And something was very wrong.

"Hey." Zero's voice was quiet.

Husky and soft.

The girl flinched, and drew back to herself. Maybe if she sat still long enough, he'd get bored and leave.

"Alia."

No response. She clenched her thighs and continued to stare down her cup of coffee.

"Sis, c'mon." There was a strange note of urgency in his voice. "Don't get like X. I know something's not right." Then, a hint of a smile, "And contrary to popular belief, I _can't_ actually read minds, so you'll have to use your big girl words."

A reluctant smile was returned, and Alia relented, looking up. Regret washed over her. Even though he was smiling, there was something, something she didn't want to admit she saw in his eyes

Sorrow. Deep and pitying. The usually spark filled green was a warm, gentle teal now.

Fuck. Alia closed her own blue eyes.

He knew.

"Listen. We all know where this is going to end up. So I'd rather we just...cut to the chase now." Alia forced her voice to stay steady. "We both know where we stand on this, and we know it won't work."

Zero's eyebrows furrowed, and he drew his face up into a confused pout.

"Wait, what's all this 'we' business, kemosabe?" He gave her a good natured, but incredulous look, "And what won't work?"

"God, Zero, you KNOW what I'm talking about!" Alia felt her chest pound, and she wished she could will it to just stop.

"Alright, but consider this for a moment: what if I have no fuckin' clue what the hell you're on about?" Zero leaned forward. "Alia, if you're honestly trying to stick a leg up about some kinda romantic relationship shit between us--"

"First of all, fuck your stupid, ridiculous idioms, and second, of COURSE! That's what this is about, isn't it?" Maybe she wanted this to end in tears. Maybe she just wanted things to end. Either way, Alia hated the need to feel dramatic.

Zero let out a short, ugly laugh.

"I pride myself in my stupid, ridiculous idioms, thank you very much, and if you think the end of this conversation involves me sticking my tongue down your throat in the pouring rain with some shit piano music in the background, you are sorely mistaken, Sis."

Alia groaned through another unwanted smile.

"Thank God. I'm already angry at myself for considering it." She finally set down her cup, and leaned back in her chair.

Zero crossed one leg over the other.

"Why?"

There was the sincere asshole, Alia figured. He really did seem innocent about it.

"Because..." Alia began slowly, "I like...girls...?"

Zero shrugged. "Yeah?"

"...and NOT guys?"

"Mhm." Zero quirked a brow.

"I'm GAY, Zero. With a capital G." Alia heaved a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes.

Zero shrugged again, but in the same dramatic manner as Alia.

"I mean, I'm caps lock gay, so we're on the same page at least."

"Are we? Are we really, Zero?"

"Alia." The man closed his eyes and rubbed the gem on his forehead for a moment. "Alia, listen to yourself."

"I'm constantly listening to myself, I have ears."

"No, goddamn it. Look at you. You're trying to force a human identity on yourself."

"The hell?"

Zero looked up, and folded his arms, eyes dark and unwavering.

"You're _not_ human. Sexuality and gender are human things. Man made, and made for man. Not for us."

Alia blinked.

Zero gave her no time to recover from the panicked reeling in her heart.

"You're a robot. I'm a robot. Just because you say you're a girl who likes other girls...doesn't mean we can't like each other. We aren't human. We don't have to adhere to their rules."

"But..." Alia tried, and Zero shook his head.

"You're a lesbian. I know. But you're a goddamn robot. There's no gender here, and there never was. Same with sexuality."

Alia looked down at her now cold cup of coffee.

"I'm not here to flirt or to try to get you to like me. I don't want that kind of relationship with you, Alia." The voice was so soft now. Barely more than a rusty whisper. "I'm here because I'm worried you're trying too hard to be human."

Alia felt her chest tighten. She slowly began to press her nails into her palms, curling them into fists.

She had been hoping he'd fall for the romance façade. But he had done what he did best. Cut right to the heart of her.

"It's easy. It's so fuckin' easy, Sis. We're surrounded by humans. We live on their planet. We look like them. We were made by them. But we _aren't_ them. We won't ever be them." Zero wished they were somewhere safer, curled up on a couch, in a bed, somewhere warm and secluded. Not sitting across from each other on a cheap plastic table.

"But..."

"You don't want to be a human, trust me."

"I know. I know..." Alia barely managed. She bent her head shamefully, desperately fighting something she couldn't even put words to.

"As robots, we have one rule. Do no harm to humans. That's it. And look at us. Look at the Mavs. Look at Axl and X. Do you see how happy they all are? To not have to label themselves? With petty human terms?"

"But Zero...the squads..." Alia mumbled despondently, trying her best. She knew all that Zero was saying was...one sided, but she didn't have the heart to argue.

A hushed breath.

"I'm not saying humans aren't worth our time. I'm saying it's not worth it to be someone you're not."

Alia made the mistake at looking up at the sound of Zero's voice cracking.

"I hurt the only people I cared about being someone I shouldn't have been. For _years_." A painful pause, "Alia, trauma does some shit to your personality. Sometimes I don't know if who I've become was the real me I was meant to be. Sometimes I don't know what 'the real me' even means."

Alia's shoulders fell and she lowered her eyes in shame.

"You're not hurting others by trying to be human. You're hurting _yourself_." Zero was caught between being completely tense from the seriousness of the issue, and limp from the sad irony of it all.

"I'm sorry." Alia didn't know why an apology was all she had left in her.

Zero relaxed, and flopped back in his chair. "Don't be. It's become instinct for you second gens to conform to human society. You were built for humans. We weren't." He gave her a gentle look through dark eyelashes.

"Why's it all have to be so confusing, so hard to draw the line between human and reploids?" Alia couldn't stop herself from shaking. "It isn't fair to constantly question _who_ I am, let alone _what_!"

"We're androids, Sis. There's no easy way out. It'll always be a struggle when you look in the mirror knowing the reason you can't be happy is that your body runs on electrical impulses and not chemical reactions." Zero puffed a bitter laugh, "And even amongst themselves, some humans can never look in a mirror and be happy with what they see."

"But what if..." Alia felt the anger leave her in a rush of exhaustion, "what if I'm always like that?"

"Then you're just like the rest of us. Humans didn't understand that creating something in their image meant it couldn't be flawless." Another pause, but this time Zero grinned, "Sans myself of course. I was modeled after a sun god so..."

Alia chuckled softly to herself, a smile on her lips as she shook her head.

"No kidding."

The man threw his arms behind his head and crossed them, letting out a yawn as he stretched.

"But if you say you're a girl who just likes other girls, then go for it, be a lesbian. Be the best damn lesbian robot you can be. I'm not stopping you."

"But you ARE!" Alia let out a flustered groan, "This is what I was getting at earlier!"

"Alia, please. I'm attractive to everyone and everything. I'm the one free space on your lesbian bingo card."

"Gender IS a myth, isn't it." Alia huffed a sarcastic laugh to herself. "What was I thinking?"

Zero grinned, "You're on to something. Whatever 'gender' you decide on, you're still a robot, so like..." He suddenly frowned, "You know what I'm trying to say right?"

Alia nodded, "Yeah. It's not a binary like the humans usually have."

"Honestly, I think it's way better not having set genders anyway." Zero gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Yeah, well." Alia pursed her lips, "I like being a girl, and I like liking girls. That's not bad."

"God, no!" Zero suddenly sat up straight, "Of course it isn't! How the fuck do you think _I_ feel when the volleyball scene in Top Gun comes on?"

Alia cringed, "I can imagine, and that alone is enough to make me gag."

Another fit of ugly laughter from Zero.

"All I want is for you to realize you're not human and you don't have to force yourself to be one. There's a thousand and one human navigators, but you're our only robot one. And the only robot one I like."

Alia was quiet for a few moments.

"Zero?"

"Yeah, Sis?"

"I really like you."

Zero smiled, but she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I really like you too, Alia."

"...that..." She inhaled, "That makes me happy."

"Just because I do everything in my power to undermine your authority at meetings and constantly give you hell," Zero pushed back his chair to stand up, "Doesn't mean I don't care about you. That I don't love you."

"Fuck you, Zero." Alia smiled, even though she couldn't bear to lift her head, and show him tear stained cheeks.

"Yeah, I know." He chuckled, "C'mon Sis. Get up. Looks like you need a beer."

Alia furiously rubbed her eyes with with her forearm before abruptly getting to her feet.

"God knows I need _two_ beers." She grinned, looking away, still too shy.

"Then we'll share. Let's just go to your place for a bit. Settle down." Zero sidled up to her, reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Alia nodded quietly, but let out a sharp squeak as Zero suddenly pulled her close to him.

"Alia."

"..."

"Alia come here."

She bit at her lip, her body shivering, eyes averted, unable, unable--still she fought it--

"No! I'm not gonna kiss you, you idiot!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, I'd give you fair warning for that kinda bullshit." Zero laughed, "Shut up, and calm down. Close your eyes." He let himself lean against the wall, bending down just enough to be on her level.

"If you do--" Even with her eyes squeezed shut, she argued with it,

"Be quiet."

Alia jerked as she felt his gem touch hers, as the pulsing desperately tried to sync with one another, as the frequencies tried to harmonize--

And it was a warmth that flooded her, gentle and kind, as his arms were strong against her hands, his own holding her to him. Instinctively, her body relaxed, and her breathing slowed.

These exchanges were always wordless.

Words were also man made, made by man and for man. They were useless to robots when communication involved nothing but the heart.

If only she could have kept the connection while resting her face in the crook of his neck, his heat enveloping her--if only--

"I love you very much, Alia. And I want to protect you. Just like I do X and Axl. But I can't help you if you force humanity where it doesn't belong." Zero broke the connection for her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

She nodded into his neck.

"Fair warning." He grinned, before dipping his head back down, tenderly kissing the gem on her forehead.

Alia froze at the sensation. Kissing another reploid's forehead gem was just about the most intimate thing one could do--well, besides the obvious.

Ugh! And to think Zero of all people was her first! Her face twisted into an ugly pout as she glared up at his now doofy face.

"On second thought, maybe you WILL need both beers. C'mon, Sis. Let's get the hell outta Dodge."

"I hate you, and I hate your stupid idioms, and I hate--" Alia's voice faded into laughter as Zero slung an arm over her shoulders and walked her out of the empty rec room.

Maybe...maybe he was right. Maybe forced humanity was detrimental. Here she was, with her own kind. And she still felt out of place.

But it was easier now.

Easier with him.

The coffee was left cold and forgotten on the table.

Alia had no use for it anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> zero's the free space on EVERYONES gay bingo card.  
> even yours.


End file.
